La Barceloneta often strives to be unique in many and varied ways. But if there is one aspect that deserves closer examination, it is one that relates to a sport very much our own – because here, on our beach, it was born on a national level, and because from here, from our swimming pools, it has achieved the greatest international successes. We are referring to water polo and the three occasions on which clubs have won the top European men’s competition: the LEN Champions League, formerly the European Cup.
Club Natación Barcelona (CNB) won it in 1981 and Club Natación Atlético Barceloneta (CNAB) in 2014 and in this latest edition in 2026.
We should also remember that CN Cataluña – the club based in Huerta but which was also founded in 1931 at the much-remembered ‘Baños Orientales’ on Barceloneta beach – has been the other European champion. It won the European Cup in 1995, as well as the European Cup Winners’ Cup in 1992 and the European Super Cup in 1992 and 1995.
Barceloneta, the cradle of water polo
Water polo as a national sport was born on Barceloneta beach. The first match played in Spain took place on 12 July 1908, refereed by Bernat Picornell. It was played in the sea, opposite the neighbourhood’s current clubs.
During those early years of the century, the three pioneering clubs were founded:
Club Natación Barcelona (CNB)
Bernat Picornell, together with a group of 16 friends, were responsible for founding the pioneering club – the Barcelona Swimming Club (CNB) – on 10 November 1907. Thanks to the efforts of these men, water polo tournaments and championships began to be organised, and interest in this new sport grew steadily amongst fans and players alike.
Atlétic Swimming Club (CNAB)
Founded in 1913 by a group of friends, Atlétic quickly made a name for itself through its activities. In 1915, it formed its first water polo team; in 1918, it organised the first Catalan Swimming Championship at the harbour’s boathouse and was a co-founder of the Spanish Amateur Swimming Federation and, later, the Catalan Federation. It was the 1920s, and the first Harbour Swim took place. Among the country’s finest swimmers, Ramón Artigas of CN Atlétic stood out, known as the ‘master of Spanish swimming’.
Club Natación Barceloneta
As early as 1929, a group of workers from the Maquinista Terrestre y Marítima company founded the Barceloneta Amateur Club. With enthusiasm and determination, they built their first clubhouse: a small wooden hut on the beach. Barceloneta became a club with members from the neighbourhood and motivated young people who would go on to become leading figures in swimming and water polo. Among them was Vicente Olmos Ayza, winner of four Port Crossings, amongst other achievements.
FIRST TITLE: CNB 1981
The CNB team were crowned European Champions at the San Jorge Swimming Pool in Barcelona, becoming the first Catalan and Spanish club to achieve this milestone.
At that time, the final was contested by four teams in a round-robin format, and CNB prevailed during that unforgettable December bank holiday weekend, defeating Hungary’s Vasas, the Netherlands’ Alphen and Germany’s Spandau 04 in the decider, 12–11.
The team, coached by the Hungarian Kalman Markovits, included in its ranks Manel Estiarte, Jordi Carmona, Juan Jané, Salvador Franch, Leandro Ribera (Jr.), Juan Marimón, Chicho Odena, Federico Sabrià, Miquel Chillida, Joaquín Barceló, Ernesto González, Ignacio Lobera and Antoni Aguilar.
A week later, Natación Barcelona also won the Super Cup in Skopje, defeating POSK Split 12–11 in extra time, thus rounding off a memorable era under the presidency of Leandro Ribera, during which the club also secured four consecutive league titles.
CNAB 2014
The CNAB (Club Natación Atlétic (Barceloneta)) were crowned European water polo champions for the first time on 31 May 2014. In a historic Final Six held at the Picornell swimming pools in Barcelona, the team defeated Serbian side VK Radnicki in the final by a narrow 7–6 margin, thereby securing their first LEN Champions League title.
Coached by brothers Chus and David Martín, the team comprised Dani López, Felipe Perrone, Alberto Munárriz, Fran Fernández, Roger Tahull, Albert Español, Marco Roca, Marco Minguell, Chalo Echenique, Rubén Delera, Mario Lloret, Balázs Szirányi, Nemanja Ubović, Marko Petkovic and Joshua Monpeat.
Subsequently, in November 2014, the team also won the European Super Cup against Spartak Volgograd.
CNAB 2026
Atlétic Barceloneta made history by being crowned, for the second time in its history, European water polo champions (Champions League) on 13 June 2026 in Gzira (Malta), after beating the Italian side Pro Recco 17–16.
The title holds special significance given that the all-powerful Pro Recco have won this competition 11 times.
Led by Fran Fernández, the members of the winning team were: Unai Aguirre, Gergely Burian, Alberto Munárriz (captain and MVP of the Final Four), Marc Valls, Bernat Sanahuja, Roger Tahull, Unai Biel, Alessandro Velotto, Filipo Burić, Gonzalo Echenique, Javi Bustos and Biel Gomila, as well as the Hungarian Vince Vigvári (who scored 136 goals during the season), who missed the final due to an injury.
